


hell, i pay the price

by erintoknow



Series: Aria-Rough Drafts [9]
Category: Fallen Hero Series - Malin Rydén, Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, POV Female Character, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, Trans Character, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 11:21:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20906828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erintoknow/pseuds/erintoknow
Summary: Jane's built a reputation, it's time to cash in. Get this project moving.





	hell, i pay the price

**Author's Note:**

> title from [[Somebody's Watching Me covered by Madelyn Darling]](https://madelyndarling.bandcamp.com/track/somebodys-watching-me)

The bartender nods in Jane’s direction as she steps in off the street. She nods back, weaves her way past tables towards the back room. Making friends with Rosie, a mercenary boost and known element had proven to be your ticket into the back of Joes. A few months more work and now Jane had a reliable reputation as an employer. Work for Jane. Do your job. Get paid.

Never anything dramatic. Some of the first couple jobs you had Jane send people on was as much about learning how to commission people then it was about getting anything material. Jane had the rep; now it was time to cash it in.

Jane sits down in her seat, across from the dark-skinned woman in the white lab coat. “You’re here early.” She says, looking over the woman in front of her. Orange tinted shades, natural hair, toothy smile.

“I find punctuality to be a valuable trait, mademoiselle.” Her accent is some flavor of french but it’s hard to place. “I am most pleased to at last meet you in-person, Miss Jane.”

“The feeling is mutual, Dr. Mortum.” Jane drops her purse in front of her on the table with a smile. “Your reputation proceeds you.”

“All good things, I’m certain?” Mortum laughs and the conversation pauses as the two of you order drinks.

Jane watches her with a tight grin. As soon as the waitress is gone she leans in, “I wouldn’t have sought you out otherwise. The inestimable Dr. Mortum, dabbler in the impossible.”

Dr. Mortum huffs, a hand raised. “Dabbler? I assure you, mademoiselle, I do not _dabble_.”

“I’m glad to hear it Doctor,” Jane pulls out a folded piece of paper from her purse and slides it over. “I’ll need more than a dabbler for what my employer wants next.”

The good doctor gives Jane a suspicious look before carefully picking up the paper, unfolding it. Her brow furrows as she reads over the schematics, the rest of her face hidden.

Jane gives her a moment to read it over. “Can you build this?”

“Some of these components are–”

Jane interrupts, waving away the complaint, “leave the acquisition of the exotic components to me. All I need to know, is can you build this? And can you do it discreetly?”

Mortum is supposed to be a specialist in working with psionic sensitive technology. Expertise you’ll need if you want to control something as dangerous as what you have in mind. Control that’ll you need to buffer with other, incredibly rare and expensive psionic sensitive equipment.

It’s a house of cards, but you know better then anyone exactly what kind of edge you need if you’re going to come out of this on top. You’ll never stand a chance against the Directive if you can’t even defeat the Rangers first.

The Doctor might need some goading though. Jane shifts in her seat, just as you suspected, the woman can’t resist a quick glance at Jane’s cleavage. Another rope you can pull her in with then, good. Toss out another; “Surely, this little project isn’t beyond your ability?”

“Nothing is beyond my ability.” Dr Mortum folds the paper, places it gently down on the table. “Given enough funding and time given to source from the appropriate vendors. And I’ll need to flesh out these plans further to properly integrate the…” She shakes her head, pulling herself back to the present. Another suspicious look in Jane’s direction. “This will not be cheap.”

Just like you hoped, the challenge has snared her. Jane smiles back, raises a hand to take the wine glass from the returning waitress. She takes a sip, watching Dr. Mortum over the rim of the glass. “Then, let’s talk prices, shall we?”


End file.
